Today, patients are identified in a hospital using ID tags that must be visible to a person or machine in order to identify the patient. Such systems can involve waking and/or manipulating patients. A system that can identify patients without needing visual contact is desirable.
Also, many patient identification systems involve placing potentially important patient information (such as a patient's name or identification number) in plain sight where anyone can see it. Some people may misuse information displayed in this manner. A system of identifying patients without placing important patient information in plain sight is also desirable.
In addition, physicians today have to either carry around a paper chart or sit down at various computers to access data they need to work with a patient. With the widespread use of intranets, and even the internet, it is now possible to have a single workstation that provides access to all of this data. Current systems do not effectively and conveniently allow a physician or other hospital staff to quickly and conveniently access patient information. An information system that allows the user to access multiple pieces of data wirelessly on a single device is preferable. Further, a device that makes accessing patient information more convenient is needed.
Also, many governmental entities are passing stricter legislation regulating confidentiality of medical records. One part of many of these laws is regulating access to patient records, including by staff at hospitals where some members of the staff are not treating the patient. It would be desirable to have a patient record display system that could regulate access to patient records to prevent unauthorized people from seeing the records.
Further, typical record display systems organize data in the same manner for every person who views the information. This may be inconvenient for some users because the information they are most interested in is buried in the record, or is divided between multiple areas of the record that the user must flip between. A system that is able to provide a user access to information that is most valuable to the user would be helpful in increasing efficiency and workflow.
Further still, different information may be more relevant to a user at different times. If a doctor sends a patient to get a test done, the doctor would likely be primarily interested in the lab results and the other information that is related to the lab results and reasons for running the test. Thus, a system that differentially displays information depending on what is most important at the time is desirable.